Abstract [en]

Background A global shift towards sustainable food habits is imperative to mitigate climate change. Registered Dietitians (RDs)s work in positions where they have the opportunity to influence decisions affecting food consumption. Objective To survey Swedish RDs’ attitudes and interest towards integrating a sustainability perspective into practice, and elucidate what determinants affect their choice and possibilities to promote sustainable food habits. Methods A mixed methods approach was taken consisting of a digital questionnaire including question of qualitative and quantitative character, namely: 1) an initial section regarding the respondents’ background 2) Likert scale questions to measure level of agreement in various statements 3) open-ended questions where the respondents were asked to describe their experiences, opinions and thoughts regarding the subject. Results The RDs (n=102) were interested in learning more about sustainable food habits, but unsure regarding whether RDs should have a leading role in promoting sustainable food habits. The integration of a sustainability perspective in nutrition practice was a matter of prioritizations. Dietitians were concerned that sustainable food habits would stand in conflict with other aspects of nutrition therapy. Organizational policies and work descriptions were reported to rarely mention sustainable food habits and this affected the RDs work. The dietetic programs at the Swedish Universities were described to lack a sustainability perspective. The RDs were unsure about how to approach sustainability in their practice. Conclusion Policies and work descriptions need to comprise a sustainability perspective to enable RDs to use and develop their knowledge and skills in sustainable food habits. Educational departments need to consider sustainability in their educational plans to meet the RDs’ need for more education and training in this area. The profession should come together to discuss the its’ role in promoting sustainable food habits